The Indonesian authorities had been letting the possibility of reopening the island of Bali to tourists for a few weeks.
It's been done since Wednesday, October 13.
But the government has refrained from any consultation with industry players to make its decision.
For the time being,
"no request for a slot for an international flight has been requested, whether on arrival or departure from Bali,
" Taufan Yudhistira, spokesperson for Ngurah Rai airport, told the Reuters agency.
The small island off the coast of Java receives more than six million tourists in normal times.
But it has been 18 months since she saw anyone, except a few locals, depriving her of 54% of her income.
To discover
Partner stay in Bali |
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between sea and rice fields
If restaurants and bars have reopened in Kuta, and the beaches are seeing the return of lounge chairs and umbrellas, there is no one to frequent them.
It must be said that the announcement is only addressed to nationals of 19 countries, including nine European states including France, the Gulf countries, China, India and Japan.
Australia, which supplies the largest tourist contingent on the island, is not on the list, nor is the United States or the United Kingdom.
Indonesia relied on the circulation status of the virus issued by the WHO, selecting only countries identified at low risk.
Read alsoIndonesia: itinerary, budget, safety ... All our advice for preparing your trip
Drastic entry restrictions
The reopening of the island of Bali is accompanied by drastic conditions. Any e-visa application can only be made by an Indonesian sponsor or guarantor. Therefore, it is necessary to go through a travel agency, a hotel or a specialized agency established in Indonesia. Entry is only granted to people with a complete vaccination schedule, a negative PCR test in English dating less than 72 hours on arrival in the country, special insurance covering medical costs in the event of Covid-19 up to US $ 70,000, a sworn statement committing to medical monitoring in the event of quarantine or isolation.
Arrival in Bali is accompanied by a mandatory five-day quarantine at the expense of travelers. On the other hand, no information is communicated as to the modalities of this quarantine. Should it take place in certain hotels retained by the government or in the hotel of your choice? Likewise, no official document summarizes the conditions for obtaining the e-visa.
The country's unpreparedness appears to be responding to pressure from Indonesia's big competitors in the region.
Thailand reopened the island of Phuket on July 5 and announced it will reopen its borders to vaccinated tourists as of November 1.
Malaysia mentioned two days ago the imminent reopening of the island of Langkawi, just like Vietnam which is considering allowing the stay of foreign visitors vaccinated on its island of Phu Quoc.
